Shawnee County, Kansas — public water systems
At a glance
9 active public water systems are filed under Shawnee County, Kansas in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 154,507 people served. The largest is City of Topeka, which reports serving 125,963 people. All 9 are community water systems serving people where they live.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
9
Population served
154.5K
Community systems
9
Groundwater share
22.2%
How does Shawnee County compare with other Kansas counties?
Shawnee County has the 52nd-most active public water systems among the 136 counties listed for active Kansas systems in EPA records; among the 101 with 3 or more systems, the median has 9. Its systems report 154,507 people served in total, the 5th-largest county figure in the state and 5.3% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 17,167 people, about 6.1 times the Kansas average of 2,800. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Shawnee County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Shawnee County's active systems draw on purchased surface water (6, 67%), groundwater (2, 22%) and surface water (1, 11%). Overall, 22% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 78% on surface water, compared with 66% and 34% across Kansas. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. The county's largest system, City of Topeka, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Shawnee County?
Shawnee County's active systems break down as 9 community systems (100%). A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. EPA lists their owner types as local government (89%) and private (11%).
Water systems in Shawnee County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Topeka, City of | Shawnee | 125,963 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | Shawnee Co Rwd 4c | Shawnee | 12,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 3 | Shawnee Co Rwd 8 | Shawnee | 6,073 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 4 | Shawnee Co Rwd 1c | Shawnee | 4,160 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 5 | Shawnee Co Rwd 3c | Shawnee | 2,675 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 6 | Silver Lake, City of | Shawnee | 1,337 | Community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Rossville, City of | Shawnee | 1,099 | Community | Groundwater |
| 8 | Shawnee Co Rwd 2c | Shawnee | 700 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 9 | Metro Topeka Airport Authority | Shawnee | 500 | Community | Purchased surface water |
Shawnee County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Shawnee County, Kansas?
EPA's SDWIS records file 9 active public water systems under Shawnee County, Kansas: 9 community systems (100%).
Who supplies drinking water in Shawnee County, KS?
The largest community water systems filed under Shawnee County are City of Topeka (125,963 people served), Shawnee Co Rwd 4c (12,000 people served) and Shawnee Co Rwd 8 (6,073 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Shawnee County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 9 active public water systems in Shawnee County, 22% draw mainly on groundwater and 78% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, City of Topeka, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Shawnee County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 9 community systems are filed under Shawnee County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Shawnee County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More Kansas water systems
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Public water systems in Shawnee County, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/shawnee (data as of October 1, 2026).